Placenta Delivery?

Das Kitty

I've been told that both getting the jab to speed up the placental delivery and the practise of giving the umbillical cord a light pull are standard practise in my hospital.

Now the jab doesn't bother me too much having read a little about it, however I'm not liking the other bit and am thinking of refusing it on my birth plan. We all know some people are better at some tasks than others and in a situation like this where you're judging by feel I don't know would I trust them...

Maybe I'm being a bit precious.

Any idea what the reason behind it is? Is it just to clear the delivery room quicker or is there a safety reason for it?

AbigailE

Das Kitty wrote: »

I've been told that both getting the jab to speed up the placental delivery and the practise of giving the umbillical cord a light pull are standard practise in my hospital.

Now the jab doesn't bother me too much having read a little about it, however I'm not liking the other bit and am thinking of refusing it on my birth plan. We all know some people are better at some tasks than others and in a situation like this where you're judging by feel I don't know would I trust them...

Maybe I'm being a bit precious.

Any idea what the reason behind it is? Is it just to clear the delivery room quicker or is there a safety reason for it?

I presume its just to clear the room quicker but TBH when I was in labour I didnt care.
Deliverying the placenta didnt hurt and I didnt get the epidural.

January

I'd reckon it's just to clear the delivery room as quickly as possible.

It's your body and if you don't want it done then refuse it. I'm not too sure I'd be comfortable with someone pulling it out of me either! Thanks for letting me know that!

~me~

again,id say its to clear the room that bit faster as they'e really stuck for rooms and beds. to be honest i doubt you'll be even thinking of that once you're holding the baby and all the hard part is over with but if you think it will be an issue then say it to them in advance. i know that once my girl was born i didnt care what was going on, mainly because of relief that it was over, so i wouldnt worry too much. but they're job is to help you feel comfortable as well as deliver your baby safely so let them know and dont feel uncomfortable in doing so,the wost they'll do is explain why they need to. best of luck!

Das Kitty

It's not a pain thing, it's the thought of it being taken before it's ready to come and hemorrhaging.

Think I might ask them to leave it 45 minutes and see if it will come away on its own first and if not let them away, if I get the oxytocin injection it should have come away well by that stage.

~me~

iknow its not a pain thing and your worries are perfectly normal and understandable but i was just saying it may turn out that you dont care when the pain part is over and you're enjoying your baby. when you've a new baby to focus on alot of the worries you had just go away. i know that doesnt help your concerns now though sorry! just that if it does need doing that it may not be as bad as you think when the time comes.
but im sure if there was huge risks in doing it then it wouldnt be as common as it is. again, its your baby, your body and your decision and if you dont want them doing something then tell them but just be prepared for them to say they need to. maybe they wont say that but just in case..

silja

They can also massage your uterus (from the outside, ie your belly) to make the placenta come out- a less artificial option you might consider.

Princessa

i dont know if its true or not but i read that when the baby is born the placenta must be higher than your baby(if you gave birth at home etc), so i think they try get the placenta out and cut the cord so you can get to craddle your baby on your chest sooner. as soon as my baby was out so was the placenta and daddy cut the cord, quick as a lash but its your birth its totally your decision... best o luck, wont be long now...;)

phaze

Hi,
I had my little girl 6 weeks ago and we waited probably 50 minutes or so to cut the umbilical cord. I was then given the injection, the midwife said it was because there had been blood when my waters broke. She then tugged on the cord! It didn't hurt but was a strange sensation. After I had been given my stitches we were then left in the delivery room again. It was almost 2 hours after her birth before I was brought to the ward so I'm not sure if speed is the reason?

crazy cat lady

There is actually less risk of haemhorrage when the placenta is delivered with the jab and traction.

After the baby has delivered the uterus can become a bit lazy and may not contract as well, especially after a long labour, and this is when bleeding can occur.

I'm a midwife and I opted for the jab and a traction delivery of the placenta as I believe it to be safer.

Dublin141

I only managed to get to the delivery room once but they let us stick around for at least five hours after the birth so I doubt it's to do with time. One midwife told me it's just in case it doesn't all come away neatly together. They don't like leaving it in there for too long anyway.

I only got the injection once, I think. It is an odd sensation when they pull it but it doesn't hurt and you're so high from the excitement that you barely even notice. On my second, I had an unexpected home birth but I didn't deliver the placenta until I was brought to the hospital. The contractions seemed to give up but as they prepared to give me the jab, it all happened naturally. On the twins, it all happened so quickly anyway that they didn't have time to give me the injection so you might not need it.

I would talk to them about your concerns and see what they say. If you're still not comfortable with it then don't do it but if it takes too long they will put pressure on you to have it done.

twomaddogs

I didn't have the injection and delivered the placenta within half an hour of DD being born...also waited for the cord to stop pulsing before cutting it (to get the maximum nutrients to the baby).

As I didn't get the injection the midwife massaged my stomach to make sure all the blood clots came out, it was a little uncomfortable but as I'd just had DD I didn't really register it TBH

I'll be asking not to have the injection again this time too.

SanFran07

It's routine in Irish hospitals to actively manage the 3rd stage and it definitely makes sense if you've had a very long labour or had your labour speeded up. BUT leaving the cord to finish pulsate has significant benefits for your newborn baby.

It's estimated that around 30% of your baby's blood remains in the placenta if the cord is clamped immediately. Think of the placenta as your baby's life support system for the last 9 months so it makes sense to leave the cord to finish it's job and keep oxygen going to your baby while he adjusts to using his lungs.

In one study, premature babies experiencing delayed cord clamping – the delay was only 30 seconds and it showed a reduced need for transfusion, less breathing problems, better oxygen levels, and indications of probable improved long-term outcomes, compared to those whose cords were clamped immediately. It usually only takes a few minutes for the cord to completely finish doing it's job.

When you've just been handed your baby you are utterly and completely focused on your baby and many mums don't even remember the cord being clamped & being given an injection. It's definitely something to consider in your birth preferences if you've had a straightforward normal birth and want to give your baby the best start possible.

http://www.birthjourney.com/thirdstagemaze.php


Tracy

leesmom

less chance of bleeding but as far as im aware its better for the baby not to interfere with this stage as the baby gets an extra bit of blood should the midwife let it happen naturally. however when i had my baby i was glad to have the placenta gone as soon as possible after delivery, at the time i thought it was just normal for them to do it but the fact that they need the bed and the fact that theres less chance of excessive blood loss seem to be the reasoning behind it

charlieroot

The reasoning behind making sure you deliver the placenta within 30mins of delivering the baby is to allow the uterus to contract and so reduce bleeding. It has nothing to do with getting you out of the delivery suite faster - some very cynical people around here

~me~

charlieroot wrote: »

The reasoning behind making sure you deliver the placenta within 30mins of delivering the baby is to allow the uterus to contract and so reduce bleeding. It has nothing to do with getting you out of the delivery suite faster - some very cynical people around here

well, as someone who was kicked out of the delivery room straight away to be left sitting alone in a wheelchair (after having an epidural so couldnt walk) with my daughter in the little cot thing in the HALL for an hour, i believe they'll do anything for the bed to be free! I wouldnt have minded so much if i could walk but my baby kept crying and cause of the epidural i couldnt walk and because i was in a hall with no alarm i just had to wait for people to walk past and ask them to grab her! i remember crying with guilt for not being able to get to her! anyway, im rambling, and i havnt even got to the part about being kicked out of the hospital after one night when i didnt want to cause they needed the bed! my point was they do need beds, they will get people out faster if they can so it is a possibility.

leesmom

charlieroot wrote: »

The reasoning behind making sure you deliver the placenta within 30mins of delivering the baby is to allow the uterus to contract and so reduce bleeding. It has nothing to do with getting you out of the delivery suite faster - some very cynical people around here

i was told clearly by the midwife straight after having my baby that they needed to get me out asap while rushing to get me off the bed because they had someone coming in in an ambulance and they needed the bed. so yes it does happen .
its not the midwives faults though, they only have a certain amount of beds and a certain amount of staff to attend to them, they do their best with what they have, but the reality is , women are rushed through the delivery room, as they need it for the next lady

Chet T16

Nobody wants to be rushed out of a bed but everybody wants to be rushed in so a line needs to be drawn dependant on circumstances that day

Das Kitty

I don't mind them needing the bed tbh, if it was me waiting I know I'd want in that delivery room fast!

I spoke to a midwife at the hospital about this (subject of thread) on Thursday. Hospital policy is to wait for the cord to stop pulsing (already knew this) and lengthen before any traction takes place. So the placenta will already have begun to detach. She went through what happens in detail and told me that even though it's regular practise that it's no harm including all this stuff on my birth plan.

The main reason I was worried is that I had been talking to a girl (admittedly not in the same hospital) who had traction performed too early and chunks of placenta were left on the womb wall. She'd gotten through the whole birth without any pain relief only to be rushed off, given general anaesthetic and have the docs perform a procedure on her to take out the remaining placenta. She was told afterwards that she wouldn't be able to concieve again for 5 years and she was 35 at the time. Luckily it only took 2 years.

I'm pretty delighted with UCHG I have to say, hopefully the big day will be as good an experience as everything else has been.

leesmom

Das Kitty wrote: »

I don't mind them needing the bed tbh, if it was me waiting I know I'd want in that delivery room fast!

I spoke to a midwife at the hospital about this (subject of thread) on Thursday. Hospital policy is to wait for the cord to stop pulsing (already knew this) and lengthen before any traction takes place. So the placenta will already have begun to detach. She went through what happens in detail and told me that even though it's regular practise that it's no harm including all this stuff on my birth plan.

The main reason I was worried is that I had been talking to a girl (admittedly not in the same hospital) who had traction performed too early and chunks of placenta were left on the womb wall. She'd gotten through the whole birth without any pain relief only to be rushed off, given general anaesthetic and have the docs perform a procedure on her to take out the remaining placenta. She was told afterwards that she wouldn't be able to concieve again for 5 years and she was 35 at the time. Luckily it only took 2 years.

I'm pretty delighted with UCHG I have to say, hopefully the big day will be as good an experience as everything else has been.

youre right to have your birth plan, i didnt have one which for me was good at the time, i wasnt thinking too much about anything so just went with the flow but having learned a little bit more about it now i think its vital to have that birth plan so the midwife knows what you do and dont want,even though sometimes things have to change when its unavoidble.
its quite easy to get caught up in the excitement of having your new baby with you that you may just say yes to anything.
i dont remember being asked about the injection, just remember being told and it being jabbed in my leg. however my midwife was lovely so i cant really complain.